At Home There are 4 very important jobs you must do when you are home. This is all done electronically by computer and is called e-registration. Welcome to the Special Care Nursery Providing Patient and Family Centred Care Go to: https://www.orgforms.gov.on.ca/ibr/start.do When you go to this site, follow the instructions to: 1. Complete baby s birth registration form 2. Apply for baby s birth certificate 3. Apply for Canada Child Benefits 4. Apply for baby s Social Insurance Number (SIN) You may need some help doing this. Ask a member of your family or friend that likes using a computer if you need help. St. Joseph s Healthcare Hamilton 50 Charlton Avenue East, Hamilton, Ontario L8N 4A6 Charlton Campus Bishop Dowling Wing, Level 3 905.522.1155 ext. 33255 PD 3003 (2015-12) www.stjoes.ca
Notes and Questions - Be Involved Inside This Book Page Welcome... 1 Our Health Care Team... 1-2 Confidentiality... 4 Teaching Centre, Research Centre... 4 Culture and Religion... 5 Visiting... 6-7 Infection Control and Patient Safety: Protect Yourself and Others... 8-10 Discharge Planning... 11 Around the Charlton Campus... 12-14 Around the Unit... 15-17 Your Health Care - Be Involved... 18 Patient Relations... 19 Privacy and Confidentiality... 20 Telephone Numbers... 21 Notes and Questions - Be Involved... 22-23 At Home... 24 23
Welcome Notes and Questions - Be Involved Welcome to the Special Care Nursery. This is also called the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit or NICU. This book will help you and your partner/s in care get to know us. You are all an important part of our team. We welcome any questions and comments you have. About the Special Care Nursery In the Special Care Nursery we look after babies that need extra care for many reasons. Our health care team is specialized in taking care of your baby s needs. Some of our babies need help with feeding, breathing and growing. We have babies that are born at St. Joseph s and babies who have been transferred here from other health centres. Our Health Care Team The members of your baby s health care team include nurses, pediatricians, interns, residents, social workers, child life specialists, spiritual care specialists and you. As a parent, you are an important part of our team. We want you to be involved in planning and giving care to your baby. Please feel free to ask questions or talk about your concerns to any member of our team. 1 22
Telephone Numbers St. Joseph s Healthcare Hamilton... 905-522-1155 Special Care Nursery...ext. 33255 Neonatal Nurse Practitioner...ext. 33362 Social Worker...ext. 33933 or 35077 Spiritual Care/Chaplain...ext. 33263 Child Life Specialist...ext. 33141 Pediatrician s Name: Telephone: Midwife Name: Telephone: Other Numbers: For Wifi Connection code please talk to the Unit Clerk. For more information about St. Joseph s Healthcare Hamilton: www.stjoes.ca 21 The Nurses work as a team. During each shift, there is one nurse who is responsible for your baby. As a team, other nurses on the unit will be able to help you with your baby. Your baby s nurse and a Charge Nurse can speak to you if you have any concerns about your baby s care. The Neonatal Nurse Practitioner (NNP) works together with Pediatricians and members of the health care team to provide complete care to babies and families in the Special Care Nursery and Women s and Infants Program. The NNP has education, knowledge and skills in health assessment, diagnosis and management of newborns. There are many Pediatricians on the unit. These are doctors who are specialized in taking care of babies and children. Every 2 weeks there is one pediatrician who is responsible for all of the babies on the unit. This doctor sees and discusses your baby s care every morning with the team. Your pediatrician will talk with you as needed. If you wish to speak to the doctor at other times, let your nurse know. We will contact your doctor for you. Interns are doctors in training and Residents are already doctors getting more education in a special field. Every 2 weeks, new interns and residents come to the unit to learn about caring for babies. One intern or resident will become a member of your baby s health care team. 2
A Social Worker tries to meet with all parents in the unit. Social workers provide parents with counselling and help planning for discharge. Your social worker is a link to community resources for families who need ongoing support after baby is home. If your baby has been transferred to St. Joseph s, a social worker may talk to you before or after you come. You can ask your baby s nurse for ways to contact your social worker. The Child Life Specialist promotes the developmental needs of infants. He or she gives you resources to help you understand the development of your baby. He or she also provides ways to stimulate your baby and gives emotional support to families. The Spiritual Care Specialist or chaplain provides spiritual, emotional and religious support for you and your family. You do not need to be a part of faith group to use this service. When you agree, the chaplain can help you contact other support people such as your own clergy or leader from your faith or spiritual tradition. You may ask to see a chaplain or you can call the Spiritual Care Department yourself. Privacy and Confidentiality St. Joseph s Healthcare Hamilton is committed to protecting the privacy of all patients, visitors, staff, physicians, learners and volunteers. We want to make sure everyone is comfortable and safe. While we encourage the participation of our patients and families in their health care, it is important to understand that taking photographs or videos (cellphones and cameras) is prohibited unless those involved have given consent to having their pictures taken. If you want to take pictures and/or record an event, please talk to your health care provider or the manager, supervisor or person in charge. 3 20
Patient Relations At St. Joseph s Healthcare Hamilton we expect everyone will treat each other with dignity and respect at all times. We invite you to contact our Patient Relations Department at 905-522-1155 ext. 33838 when you have comments, compliments or complaints about the care you or your baby had here. When you call with a compliment, we will pass this message on. When you call with a complaint, we will work with you and your health care team to try and resolve the problem using respect, compassion, confidentiality and fairness for all involved. If no one is available when you call, please leave a message. You can also email Patient Relations at: patientrelations@stjoes.ca Confidentiality In keeping with the Health Care Act, information about your baby is only given to the parents. Parents and visitors are also asked to stay with their baby and not visit or talk about other babies. Confidentiality and privacy is everyone s responsibility. Teaching at St. Joseph s Healthcare Hamilton St. Joseph s Healthcare Hamilton is a teaching hospital. This means that you may have students involved in your care. We welcome students from all health care profession colleges and universities. Research at St. Joseph s Healthcare Hamilton St. Joseph s Healthcare Hamilton is a research hospital. Research helps to improve the treatments that we provide, leading to better care for patients. You may be asked to take part in a research study. If you are interested in taking part in a study, be sure you understand the details of the study and how you would be involved before you sign a consent form. If you do not want to be in a research study, your baby s care will not be affected. 19 4
Service Excellence All of the staff, doctors, volunteers and learners at St. Joseph s Healthcare Hamilton follow a set of Standards of Behaviour. Our goals are to: treat everyone with dignity and respect work together to provide excellent care and service Violence in the Workplace St. Joseph s Healthcare Hamilton has a policy to prevent violence in the workplace. The goal is to provide a healthy, safe, secure and violence-free place for patients, staff and visitors. Violent or abusive behaviour will not be tolerated. Culture and Religion All faiths and spiritual traditions are recognized and respected here. If you wish, please share any of your beliefs that will help us get to know you and your baby. The Spiritual Care team consists of chaplains who are men and women from different denominations. Their focus is on what is important to patients, families and staff from a spiritual or religious point of view. A member of your clergy or your spiritual leader can be contacted for you upon request. If you are interested in learning more about Spiritual and Religious Care at St. Joseph s Healthcare Hamilton you are welcome to speak to a chaplain or you may want to look at our Introduction to Spiritual Care e-learning module. It is available to you on the St. Joseph s Healthcare Hamilton website. 5 Patient Safety Your Health Care Be Involved Your safety is our concern. In order to have the best health care be an active member of your health care team. Here are some ways to Be Involved: Ask questions and talk about your concerns Know the medications your baby needs and why these are needed Carry a current list of medications your baby needs to share with all health care providers Carry a list of current medical conditions, allergies, past problems and surgeries Make sure you know what to do when you leave the hospital, clinic, program or doctor s office When you are involved, you can make better health care decisions. For more information there is a booklet called Your Health Care Be Involved published by the Ontario Hospital Association. Ask a member of your health care team for a copy. You can download this book in many languages from www.oha.com 18
Patient Education Handouts There are written handouts on the unit. You can talk to your nurse about your needs or ask for a handout. There are also handouts on our website. Go to: www.stjoes.ca and look under Patient & Visitors Washrooms Washrooms are: on the Mother-Baby Unit, Bishop Dowling Wing, Level 3 outside the cafeteria, Mary Grace Wing, Level 2 on the Level 1 near the front entrance Telephones There is a telephone in the Special Care Nursery Family Lounge and in the Mother-Baby Unit Family Lounge. These are for local calls only. Visiting It is important for you to be with your baby and for you to get to know each other. We know that it may be hard to visit daily because you may live far away, lack extra money, have transportation problems or have other children at home. There are ways the team can help you so you can spend as much time as possible with your baby. We have bunkrooms available to parents when their babies are close to going home. To help you adjust you will be asked to stay in one of these rooms with your baby for 24 to 48 hours before your baby is discharged. Ronald McDonald House is located near McMaster Hospital for out-of-town families. Ask your baby s nurse or social worker for information. Parents and visitors may be asked to leave during special procedures. If your baby is stable you may be able to take him or her to the Family Lounge at this time. When you first come to the unit and are new to us, we will ask you to show identification. Once we get to know you, you may not have to do this. Parents and visitors must sign in at the reception desk when coming in and leaving the nursery. 17 6
Parents may visit anytime. However, we prefer that there be no visiting during shift change which is 7:00 a.m. to 7:30 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. daily. Other visitors must be accompanied by a parent. Only 2 visitors at a time can visit. General visiting hours are between 9:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. Special requests for visiting may be granted by the nurse manager or the charge nurse. If you have a special request, please talk to your nurse. Visiting for Brothers and Sisters The Special Care Nursery contains a lot of equipment and safety is important. Children, can visit but there are some rules. A child who has not had immunizations for chicken pox, measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) and pertussis cannot visit. During each visit, the adult must: remain with a child at all times always watch and control a child s behaviour make sure a child does not disturb others Helpful hints from other parents: visit when child is healthy and rested keep visits short bring a quiet toy for child to play with bring a snack to eat in the Family Lounge There are times when no children can visit. This may be for Infection Control reasons. Ask your nurse if it is all right for children to visit. 7 Breastfeeding and Pump Room We ensure all the nurses, doctors and midwives caring for you and your baby have breastfeeding education to help support you to get breastfeeding off to the best start. We also provide breastfeeding support for you up to 6 weeks after discharge at our Breastfeeding and Newborn Assessment Clinic (BANA) There is a special room on the unit for you to breastfeed your baby or use the breast pump to express your breast milk. Your nurse will show you how to breastfeed when your baby is ready or how to pump your breasts and collect breast milk. We supply containers for you. Bunk Rooms You may be asked to stay with your baby overnight. Parents stay with their babies in a private room knowing that the staff is close by to help. Breastfeeding mothers can stay to help babies get a good start on breastfeeding if a room is available. These rooms can also be used during the day for parents to rest if available. You can bring your own food when staying over and store it in the fridge. There is a handout to read for more information. 16
Around the Unit Preventing Falls Patient Safety You and your baby s safety is always our concern. The staff will show you how to move from place to place with your baby. If you feel dizzy or unwell ask for help. Always be careful around the equipment in the unit. Report any safety concerns you have to a member of your health care team. Special Care Nursery Lounge There is a small Family Lounge in the unit where you can go for a quiet rest. Mothers use this room to breastfeed if their babies are able to be off monitors. Families also use this room to spend time with babies and visitors. Mother-Baby Unit Family Lounge There is a large Family Lounge on the Mother-Baby Unit which families and visitors may use. Babies are not allowed to leave the unit to go here. Infection Control and Patient Safety: Protect Yourself and Others Adults and children should not visit if they do not feel well or have: chills or fever new cough or sore throat diarrhea in the last 48 hours nausea or vomiting any signs of an infection such as a rash or open sores Family or friends that have any of these symptoms cannot visit your baby. If you, as a parent, are not feeling well or have a cold sore, talk to your baby s nurse. You can decide together the best thing to do to protect your baby. You may need to wear a mask, gloves and a gown while caring for your baby. Also make sure you wash your hands often. Keeping Your Baby Healthy Newborn babies are born before they are ready to fight off all the germs that they may be exposed to. They are more prone to infections. Germs that may cause only a mild illness or no illness in an older child or adult may cause a serious infection in a baby. Careful handwashing prevents the spread of germs to your baby. 15 8
Why is handwashing important? Clean hands reduce the spread of germs. Germs, like cold or flu can make you sick. Clean hands can save lives. If your hands are visibly soiled, you must wash with soap and water. Otherwise, you may use the alcohol based hand rub. Wash your hands well for 15 seconds: each time you enter and leave the hospital each time you enter and leave the nursery each time you visit and hold your baby before you put on a gown or gloves after you sneeze or blow your nose after using the toilet or bathroom after touching something on the floor after changing your baby s diaper Tell your visitors to wash their hands before and after each visit. and before and after holding the baby. Chapel The chapel is located near the main entrance. It is a quiet, peaceful place where everyone is welcome. Daily Mass is at 11:45 a.m. each day, except Tuesday. Spiritual Centre and Footbath Room In addition to the Chapel, we have a Spiritual Centre in the Bishop Dowling Wing, Room D173. This is a multifaith space for the purpose of quiet spiritual reflection and prayer. We also have a footbath room available if you wish to use it before your meditation or prayer. Directions to the footbath are posted in the Spiritual Centre. Perfumes and Scents Perfumes and strong odours such as smoke can make it hard for some people to breathe. No perfumes, after-shave or cologne is to be used while in this hospital. Please tell visitors as well. Do not be shy while you are here: Help our staff remember how important it is to wash their hands by asking any member of your baby s health care team, Did you clean your hands? 9 14
Food and Drinks The cafeteria is located on Level 2 of the Mary Grace Wing. You can choose from a variety of sandwiches, hot dishes, salads, soups and more. Vending machines are also in the cafeteria for after hours. There is a Tim Hortons in the main lobby beside the Pharmacy offering a variety of coffees, teas, and refreshments as well as hot food, sandwiches, desserts and breakfast items. Gift Shop and Store These are located near the main entrance on the first floor. You can get cards, flowers, gifts, magazines, books, snacks and much more here. Some baby care supplies are also available. Isolation and Visitors: Patient Safety If your baby is in isolation there will be a special sign posted. The sign will show you and visitors what they need to do to visit your baby safely. Your nurse will give you an information sheet on what you need to do when your baby is in isolation. Your nurse will help you and your visitors as well. Here is an example of an Isolation Sign: Contact Isolation is the most common isolation. When your baby is in Contact Isolation before going into the area your baby is in, everyone needs to: Pharmacy The pharmacy at the front of the hospital can meet all of your medication and healthcare product needs. The pharmacy accepts all drug plans and offers professional advice, education and fast and friendly service. In support of St. Joseph Healthcare Hamilton s designation as a Baby Friendly Hospital the pharmacy rents and sells hospital-grade electric breast milk pumps, breastfeeding aids and manual breast pumps. For more information about the pharmacy, please refer to our website. Wash your hands When leaving the area your baby is in, everyone needs to take off the gowns and gloves then wash hands well. 13 10 Put on a gown Put on gloves
Questions There are no silly questions. Take as much time as you need to discuss your concerns and questions with us. Please let us know if you do not understand something or would like a clearer answer. Make notes to remember your questions. Discharge Planning Before you go home, we may invite you to a discharge planning meeting. We will talk about being ready to take your baby home. You will also talk about car seat choices, rooming-in, and follow-up appointments. When you go home, we refer most of our families to a public health nurse with verbal consent. It is your right to have this service. A public health nurse will call you and may visit your home upon request. The nurse can help you with things like breastfeeding and daily baby care. The nurse can also help with any problems you may have. 11 Parking Around the Charlton Campus Parking drop-off and pick-up is located off St. Joseph s Drive at the Mary Grace Wing and Surgical Centre. Patient and visitor parking is available at the following locations: Parking garage beside the Fontbonne Building, located off James Street South. Premium parking garage located off Charlton Avenue in front of the building beside the Juravinski Innovation Tower. No in and out privileges, coupons, passes or validations are accepted here and it is more expensive to park here. For a list of parking rates please refer to our website. You can visit the parking office on Level 2 Juravinski Innovation Tower to get a day pass to come and go all day, a 2-week pass or monthly pass at reduced rates. Smoking There is no smoking at St. Joseph s Healthcare Hamilton. This means there is no smoking anywhere on the property inside or outside. Second hand smoke is harmful to your baby. Please be considerate when visiting and bringing things from home. Make sure they do not smell like smoke. 12